“He was really hoping you’d come visit,” said Christian’s dad. “He’s been doing his impression of Vern Fiddler’s Kevin Bieksa impression all morning to make you laugh.”

Christian was too shy to do his impression for coach, but he piped up to share some advice as Vigneault was leaving.

“Play Bieksa more.”

All coach could do was chuckle.

The children perked up his day as much as he made theirs.

“It’s a special moment for us to be able to come here for a small portion of the day and brighten up the kid’s day,” said Vigneault. “Their parents seem to be so strong and all the kids seem to have so much courage that all we can do is our small little part and hopefully they’ll all get better.”

For Canucks assistant coach Darryl Williams, a Newfoundland product with a nine-year-old son and 14-year-old daughter, the hospital visit was overwhelming.

He visited one boy with was playing Minecraft on his computer; Williams’ son recently had a Minecraft birthday party. He spent time with another who is obsessed with playing Lego; both Williams’ children love building anything they can with Lego.

“As a parent sometime you take for granted the lifestyle that you lead and the health that you have,” said Williams. “To see what the parents go through here and what the kids go through, it’s overwhelming.

“You put yourself in their shoes and I don’t know what they go through, but I imagine you’re staring at those four walls with a lot on your mind and your child there, so to have coach AV and Fin here visiting them, it’s great.